Embodiments herein generally relate to print cartridge cleaning blades, and more particularly concerns a print cartridge cleaning blade having a stiff core and a flexible covering.
Modern printing devices use inks and toners that are applied to drums and belts. Paper particles, excess toner, ink, and other foreign matter can accumulate on the various drums, rollers, belts, and augers unless such foreign matter is regularly removed. One device for removing such items from belts and drums is a flexible cleaning blade. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,284, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a common print cartridge cleaning blade.
In order to reduce the cost and increase the performance of print cartridge cleaning blades, the embodiments herein provide a printer or printing device (or print cartridge that is insertable into the printing device) that uses or includes a coated-core cleaner blade. The cleaner blade contacts the drum or belt (photoreceptor) to clean excess toner and foreign matter. The cleaner blade can be mounted on the same casing/frame that supports the drum or belt using a mounting bracket connected to the cleaner blade.
The coated-core cleaner blade according to embodiments herein has a core comprising a first material and a coating surrounding the core. The coating comprises a second material that is different than the first material. Further, the core (first material) is rigid relative to the coating (second material). Therefore, the first material has a first flexibility that is much less than a second flexibility of the second material. For example, the core can comprise a plastic, a ceramic, a metal, and/or an alloy, etc. Similarly, the coating can comprise a plastic, a rubber, and/or a polymer, etc.
The coating has blade edges that contact the surfaces of the belt or drum being cleaned. The core has a rectangular shape and has a length, a height perpendicular to the length, and a thickness perpendicular to the length and the height. Because it is an elongated rectangle, the length is greater in size than the thickness and the height; and the height is also greater in size than the thickness. Thus, the rectangular shape has a top, a bottom, sides, and ends. The top and bottom are rectangular planes defined by the thickness and the length. The sides are rectangular planes defined by the height and the length. The ends are rectangular planes defined by the height and the thickness.
The square corners of the core below the blade edges are located where the sides of the rectangular shape meet the top and the bottom, and the square corners run from one end to the opposite end. This shape allows the cleaner blade to have four blade edges, which permits the cleaner blade to be flipped and/or rotated to utilize a new blade edge, rather than being replaced. Therefore, this shape allows much greater service life when compared to cleaner blades with a single edge.
Further, the blade edges of the coated-core cleaner blade have a very precise edge because the outer covering follows the core to have very square corners. More specifically, because the core is formed of very rigid materials, such as metals, the core can have very square corners below the blade edges. This can result in the outer covering having blade edges that have corners with a radius that can be controlled through the manufacturing process to provide optimal cleaning performance and/or durability. The radius of the cleaner blade edges may be less than 15 microns. This allows the cleaner blade to provide increased cleaning performance and/or durability when compared to conventional cleaner blades. Further, the rigid core prevents the cleaner blade from acquiring a set or permanent bend. Therefore, the coated-core cleaner blade will perform more consistently than conventional cleaning blades that can relax the force applied against the photoreceptor over time.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.